Category: Vietnam

The conventional wisdom recommends visiting Vietnam in spring (March or April) or fall (September through November). However, northern Vietnam, with its mountainous terrain and terraced rice fields is a little different. Choosing the best time Read More …

Hoi An, Vietnam, is famous for its lanterns. At night, those lanterns create a fantasy city bathed in color and light. It is my favorite time of day. Magical evenings in Hoi An Vietnam 2015 Read More …

Surrounded by laterite in Duong Lam Commonly referred to as Duong Lam Ancient Town, this village near Hanoi, Vietnam, is among the last to retain its traditional laterite buildings. Laterite buildings have a long history Read More …

Day six off the tourist trail in Northern Vietnam Day six of our northern Vietnam road trip begins right in Bac Ha, as we are in town specifically for the day’s colorful market. Even though Read More …

Day four off the tourist trail in Northern Vietnam Day four of our northern Vietnam road trip includes visits to several villages tucked into valleys far off the tourist trail. We also visit a lively Read More …

Day two off the tourist trail in Northern Vietnam The second day of our northern Vietnam road trip starts quietly along the peaceful shores of Ba Be Lake. With about 150 miles of mountain roads Read More …

At home most of us automatically plug our computers and other electronics into an electric surge protector because you never know when there will be a lighting strike somewhere in the neighborhood or a squirrel Read More …

At the market in northern Vietnam Residents in the rural towns of northern Vietnam rely on weekly markets to buy and sell the goods they can’t grow or build at home. Visitors are always welcome Read More …

Vietnam is filled with villages racing to modernize by tearing down their old buildings and replacing them with modern ones as fast as they can, but there are still places where visitors can see what Read More …

The traditional Vietnamese villages of Duong Lam, Vietnam, have many treasures hidden within their ancient walls, but the largest collection – both in number and physical size — reside within the quiet confines of Mia Read More …

Northern Vietnam is a country of ragged karst mountains and twisting caverns. The most famous of these are found in Halong Bay, but they exist inland as well. And in some places they exist in Read More …

Simple bamboo xylophones (dàn t’rung) are traditional musical instruments from Vietnam’s Central Highlands, but more elaborate versions can be in music groups performing throughout Vietnam. . . Like this one being played outside a restaurant Read More …

A cruise through the Mekong River Delta in southern Vietnam is full of unexpected sights, but a landscape of giant brick beehives may be among the most surprising. They are barely visible from a distance, Read More …

Walking down a neighborhood street near our hotel in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), we noticed a vehicle that seemed a bit out of place on a neighborhood street in Vietnam. Doesn’t that look like Read More …

Ba Be Lake National Park protects Vietnam’s largest and highest lake. It’s an area of forested mountains, karst islands, caves, waterfalls, and largely undisturbed wilderness. It’s one of those rare areas in Southeast Asia where Read More …

Until very recently, the river itself served as the main highway through Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. While an increasing number of roads penetrate the region, for most of the people who live and work along the Read More …

Vietnam is rapidly developing beyond the main cities. To facilitate and support that new development, the government is expanding and improving the highway network that serves the Mekong Delta. The dramatic Can Tho (Cần Thơ) Read More …

Modern copies of ancient water puppets for sale at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi This post is linked to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) at image-in-ing Inside the Temple of Literature 2015 Vietnam itinerary All Read More …

As a nod to International Women’s Day, I’d like to thank the beautiful women with whom we crossed paths while traveling in Vietnam. The Vietnamese we met were exceptionally warm and welcoming, almost always smiling Read More …

The Temple of Literature (Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam) in Hanoi is a relic of a quieter, more structured and orderly time. The complex dates back to the early days of Hanoi’s founding, when Van Mieu Read More …

As we drove through northern Vietnam last fall, I was always curious about the people living in the towns and villages we passed along the way. Fortunately, we did have some time (not enough!) to Read More …

Many of the shops in the old heart of Hanoi still specialize in one type of merchandise, like this basket shop. Every morning the shopkeepers opened up the little shopfront and pulled out their displays. Read More …

In early morning the sidewalks of old Hanoi belong to business owners and shopkeepers. At dawn they begin the tasks needed to open up for the day– sweeping the sidewalk, unpacking boxes, hauling out merchandise Read More …

We spent the month of November on a fascinating and surprising trip to Vietnam and Laos, countries we’d planned to check-off our travel to-do list following our visit. Now we think we will have to Read More …

Overloaded scooters carrying anything and everything under the sun are a Vietnamese cliché, but it’s also an everyday reality. For example, this young man in Hue appeared to have a full fabric store piled on Read More …

Vietnam’s Red Dao (Yao) people are noted for the elaborate embroidery that decorates their clothing. A woman’s outfit includes a heavily embroidered tunic, apron, and pants, as well as embroidered accessories. A traditional outfit can Read More …

I was surprised to awaken to sunshine breaking through the clouds on our first morning in Halong Bay. Although most of our days in Vietnam have been sunny, they have all begun heavily overcast. . Read More …

It is difficult to really stand out from the crowd at the Bac Ha market in northern Vietnam, where the local Flower H’mong (so named because of their wildly patterned and colorful clothing) gather weekly Read More …

China Beach makes up only 20 miles of nearly 3,000 miles of Vietnam’s coastline on the South China Sea, but it’s the only Vietnamese beach most Americans can name. While the Vietnamese have different names Read More …

Dreaming of travel to northern Vietnam This week’s New York Times Sunday travel section featured an article on the geologically and culturally fascinating Dong Van plateau in northern Vietnam. The area sounds amazing, with fascinating Read More …